[Hotel Review] - Amara Sanctuary Resort (Larkhill Terrace), Sentosa, Singapore (17 - 20 May 13)

Location

This is my 2nd review for Amara Sanctuary Resort on Sentosa Island. This time I stayed in their Larkhill Terrace. The resort is sandwiched between the Integrated Resorts where one can find the casino and theme park and the beach area. The central location of the resort makes heading towards the beach or the integrated resorts a breeze. However as with the other hotels on Sentosa, to access to mainland Singapore, one will have to take the island's subway system out of the island and change to the transport on Singapore. It is rather far away from the main shopping district in Singapore.

Hardware

Upon entering the room, it looked smallish (Well at least for the air-conned part of the room) compared to other hotels. However if one were to take into consideration the outdoor parts of the room, it is rather huge. As the weather was rather hot, my friend and I spent most of the time in the air con part of the room.

Upon entering the room, a huge king-sized bed greeted patrons staying in this class of the room. The centre of attraction in this part of the room gotta be the bed. Everything in this suite looks functional, there are little deco or unnecessary stuffs inside the room. The bed is very comfortable and large enough to sleep 3 comfortably. The air con inside the room is just nice, not too hot and not too cold. There is a small study table by the side of the main door. Opposite the bed is a LED TV. The down side is there isn't any direct connection for ipods, HDMI Cables for the TV. Connection to the TV has to be made directly onto the TV, unlike some other 5 star hotels. Having said that, there are alot of power point outlets for patrons to power up their electronic devices around the room. 2 Wardrobes are available in the room, however only one can be used to store clothings, the other one houses the nesspresso machine, mini bar and the glasses, hot water flask. Well hidden and interesting way of making the room less cluttered. 

Bedroom of the suite

After the 2 wardrobes is the toilet and walk in shower. The walk in shower feature a rainshower a normal shower head. The walk-in shower is rather large. Opposite the walk in shower is the toilet, which has a small sink in it. At first I thought this is the rather weird, as my time inside the room progresses, I found to cater another sink inside the toilet does make functional sense. As the other sinks are outside, having a sink here means patrons do not need to go outdoors just to wash hands.

Walk in shower

Toilet in the suite

After the toilet and the walk in shower, one would find another set of glass doors leading to the outdoor area. Here is where one would find a huge bathtub as the centrepiece of the area. At the sides are 2 sinks, so people would not resort to fighting over the sink. Rather thoughtful design. After the bathtub is a day bed, under a retractable canvas where one can laze the day away. The day bed faces the back door, where patrons can access to a jacuzzi and a infinite pool. 

Outdoor bathtub

Outdoor Bathtub

Outdoor Sink

Outdoor daybed

Outdoor Daybed

The room is designed with thoughtfulness and functionality. it is very comfortable on both the indoor bed and the day bed, perfect for one to snooze on both beds. However as with any other outdoor rooms in this part of the world, insects would be invited at night due to the warmth from the lighting outdoors. I thought the hotel should have foresaw this and perhaps provide some electronic devices to get rid of the bugs and lizards. The rear of the suite opens up to a swimming pool that is for the exclusive use of guests staying at the Larkhill Terrace. The pool is fantastics and does feel exclusive.

Swimming pool

Heartware

Check in was prompt with the staff at the reception recognising me as a returning patron. Very personalised and warm service. I was taken aback despite the last time i stayed here was some 7 months back in their 2 bedroom villa. Check in was very fast and we were finding our way in very short time. 

I stayed at this property for my birthday.  My friend called earlier to arrange for a birthday surprise for me (my birthday falls on the 3rd day of our stay), upon check in at around 7 pm, a cake was delivered to our room. Puzzled my friend told the staff the cake is delivered 2 days in advance. Apologetically, he called his manager about the situation. After 5 mins, the staff rang on our door and insisted that we accept the cake. I guess he was merely following orders from his manager. We took the cake. We went to the reception about the issue as we were heading out for dinner. The staff at the reception told us there was some mistake on the system and the date was keyed in wrongly. There wasn't any arrangements from the receptionist to have another one delivered on the actual day, she merely brushed us off saying there is nothing she can do about the mistake. Angered and disappointed regarding the attitude of this staff, we left for our dinner.

The next day my friend called the customer service manager (which was diverted to the reception) about the issue. Apologetically, she arranged for another cake to be delivered on the actual day. This time round cake was delivered on the correct date and right on the dot as per arrangement. Service recovery should be done on the spot and not to wait for customers to make noise again before doing anything right.

Other then that the service provided by the staffs were excellent, from the staffs at shutters restaurant, where we had rather sumptuous breakfasts, to the gardener watering the plants near the terrace. The housekeeping staff, Noor, was exceptionally good. On the first day we requested for housekeeping at 1 pm, and returned at 4 pm to see that our room had not been tidied. When we were about to call housekeeping to get them to have our room made up, Noor rang on our doorbell and apologised for being late. As we had bought food back and told her that we planned to dine in our room, she offered to come back later after we had our food. However we told her to proceed with our room and we will walk around and return at a later timing. We spent around 45 mins walking around, and thought that our room might not be ready. To our pleasant surprised our room was perfect. Despite the short timing, Noor did not cut corners and kept our room clean! We called up housekeeping to request for extra bathing amenities, Noor came with the amount we requested. The next day when she made up our room, we found additional bathing amenities as we requested the day before! Such thoughtfulness and attention in details was displayed by Noor! Well done Noor!

Overall

Overall the stay was pleasant, though some areas in terms of service could be done better. The hotel did deliver tranquility and exclusivity regarding the pool at the Larkhill Terrace, and the star throughout our stay gotta be Noor! The rest of the staff should look up to her and display the same attention to details and thoughtfulness as she had.

[Hotel Review] - Siloso Beach Resort (Deluxe Room), Sentosa, Singapore (5 - 8 Apr 13)

Location

Located along the Silosa beach on Sentosa Island, this hotel is close to the beach actions. There are several eateries and pubs along the beach, making this hotel a good spot for actions close by. It is however far from Resorts World Sentosa and the theme parks on the island.

Hardware

I checked into the hotel for a 4 day 3 night stay.  This is my 3rd time coming here, due to positive past experiences, I came back here for a relaxing staycation over the weekend. I am deeply disappointed with the condition of this hotel. It is heaven and earth from my previous stays.

The room was rather small with ageing and decapitated furniture. Upon entering the room, the corridor opens up to the bedroom. By the side of the corridor from the main door is the bathroom. The bath room is small but has both a walk in shower and a bathtub. There is a window that looks into the room from the bathtub. There used to be a curtain that allows more privacy or for guests to watch TV from. However this curtain is now replaced with tinted glass, defeats the purpose of placing the window there in the first place. There is beside the bathtub is a standard and small sink that does not allow much toiletries to be placed on the sink. Stains can also be found in the sink  Beside the sink is the walk in shower. The standard shower head of this room is in a bad condition. There are hardly any water coming out from the shower head. Next to the walk in shower is the toilet bowl . 

Small Bathtub

Walk in shower and the toilet bowl

Small sink

Opposite the entrance of the bathroom is the wardrobe. The door on the wardrobe is difficult to close and the wardrobe smalls. One can find a in-room safe hidden in the wardrobe as with most hotels. The small wardrobe is hardly sufficient to place more then 3 days worth of clothing.

Entrance and wardrobe

View of the entrance from the bedroom

In the bedroom is the standard queen size bed, which is placed in front of the TV. The sleep quality on the bed is decent, but do not expect a great sleep on it. The TV is placed on a table, which extends from the minibar next to the wardrobe. The minibar is pathetic with nothing placed in it. I guess most of the patrons find the drinks to be expensive, hence there is no point in stocking up the minibar. There used to be an in room couch for relaxation, by the huge window that faces the beach but has been removed. Giving the room a false sense of spaciousness. Facilities in room and around the hotel seemed lack of maintenance. It is very different from the last time i came here. Inside the bedroom , I can see deteriorating wallpaper. The hotel also stripe the carpet away, replaced by wooden floorings. However the floorings has alot of scratches and drag marks on it. The only saving grace inside the room is the stunting sea view. that is about all that is good in the room. 

Queen Size bed

Small TV in front of the bed

Degrading furnitures

Scratches on the floor

Peeling wallpaper

The only place that is great in this property is the swimming pool, it is wonderful with tall waterfall and the pool is huge. During our stay, there is this loud music that blasts from the beach club opposite, the loudness of the music did not stop until 4am! When I checked with one of the staff, they gave the very standard answer of "the hotel is working with the owners of the club to keep the decibels down at night". Sound proofing could have been better if they seriously think that the club will affect the stay of the guests. 

Heartware

Breakfast was horrible throughout the 4 days. There are only minor variation to the menu and that is about all. Service is almost non-existence around the hotel. The staffs at the restaurant were seen talking amongst themselves when their supervisor was not looking instead of clearing plates. 

The check in staffs looked angry and unapproachable. They kept interaction with guests to a minimal giving me a feeling that they just wanted to get rid of the guests and continue with whatever they are doing.

The hotel boasts itself to be eco-friendly, more like a false front they use to conceal the cheapness of the owners. Everywhere seemed to be falling apart, from the fixtures in the room to the areas around the hotel. It seemed like the hotel is very poorly maintained. Even the towels they provided in room feels cheap.

Overall

This so-called 4 star hotel that gives me the feel of a 2 star service and quality. The only thing good about this hotel is the pool and the view, as well as the location. If that is important to you, then by all means stay here. if not, go elsewhere, where one can find more value.

[Hotel Review] - Moevenpick Heritage Hotel (Heritage Suite), Sentosa, Singapore (23 - 24 Mar 13)

Location

The hotel is located in central Sentosa. It is within reach to most of the attractions on the island. The nearest Subway station on the island is a mere 5 mins walk. Despite the central location, guests would have to walk for at least 10 mins to the eateries and other attractions. There are bus service plying the island, however the nearest bus stop is also a good 5 mins walk away. To get to elsewhere in Singapore, one would have to take the subway out of the island to mainland Singapore and venture from there. The location of the hotel is only good for those who wanted to just stay on Sentosa.

Hardware

As I entered the room, I was welcomed by the living room. The living room has a minimalist concept with a 2 seater couch, a cushion stool and a small side table facing the TV. The lighting at the living room was rather cozy. The deco in the living room is simple yet functional and cozy. The living room has an access to the bathroom, which can be accessed via the bedroom as well. 

Main door and the living area of the suite

2 seater couch in the living area of the suite

TV in the living area

The bath room is rather huge. 3 main compartments in the bathroom, namely a walk in rain shower cubicle, a toilet cubicle and a large bathtub with oversized sink, big enough for 2 to use at the same time (there are 2 taps at the sink). The tap in this room is rather unusual. The whole bathroom is compartmentalised by glass, which makes the bathroom look big. It has all the essential stuffs where one would find in any 5 star hotel. however we found only one small handkerchief for 2 to share, there is no face towel given other then 2 bath towels. I checked with the reception at the heritage wing and was told they have ran out of face towels. I found that to be ridiculous. There isn't any place to hang our bath towels in the bath room or in the entire suite as well. No fixtures in the bathroom to hang the small handkerchief, unlike the deluxe room, where one can find rings to hang the small towels. The quality of the toiletries seemed to be degraded. As my previous stay, they were giving out Ferragamo toiletries to suite guests, this time round they were giving out standard toiletries regardless of the type of room one stays in. Even the standard room toiletries in my previous stay with the hotel is better then the toiletries I had gotten this time round.

Walk-in rain shower

Sink area

Huge Bathtub

Entrance to the bedroom from the bathroom

Love the bathtub

Between the bathroom and the bedroom is a walkthrough wardrobe. The fixtures are simple yet functional. There are 2 types (in total 4) bathrobes in the room. The thinner more japanese style ones and the thicker and more comfortable bath robes. There are also sufficient space to stow away luggages in the wardrobe.

Walk-in wardrobe between the bathroom and the bedroom

The bedroom was large. In this part of the room, the king-sized bed is placed by the entrance to the bathroom, and the TV cum refreshment area is at the other end of the room, by the door to the living room. The bedroom can be accessed via the bathroom or the living room. The size of the room is rather spacious and again the theme in the room is minimalistic in nature, where the entire bedroom does not look of feel too clattered. The king bed is large and very comfortable to sleep in. There are 2 side tables by the bed where one can find the controls for the lightings and the blinds and curtains. The refreshment table has a nesspresso machine and a kettle for guests to boil water for the TWG teas that was provided in the suite. The mini bar fridge is hidden, yet accessible on the shelf where the nesspresso machine is stowed. beside this shelf is the working desk. Like most 5 star hotels, there are various connection ports for one to plug in their computer to the TV in the bedroom. When we checked in , we found some ants crawling on the work desk. not too sure if the hotel has upkept the room properly, however we were lucky that there wasn't a massive ant invasion in the room.

King-size bed in the bedroom

Complementary minibar in the bedroom

Nespresso Machine in the bedroom

Complementary Minibar

I headed for the Crystal lounge to chill out abit before hitting the pool. The lounge itself is small. There is only 1 staff at any time in the lounge multitasking, taking care of guests, making and serving drinks, cleaning up. Unlike some of the hotel lounges we have been to, this one is very small and feels unwelcoming by the decor. I was there for the evening cocktail, and the selection of food is pathetic. Maybe it is constrained by the space that does not allow the hotel to put more in the lounge. Perhaps the hotel can consider either allocating a bigger space for the lounge, or remove the lounge totally. There is also a small 24 hour gym just by the lounge. The gym has the standard weights, weight machines and treadmills. This under untilized gym feels like a waste of space, as we have not seen anyone using the gym during our stay there. The pool is a great hang out place for one to soak up in the sun. The infinite pool is not too large nor too small. the size is just right for one to tan and take a dip. The unique thing about the pool is the see through glass at one end of the pool. 

Decor of Crystal Lounge

Hotel Swimming pool

Heartware

This is the second time I have been here, both times I am not impressed with the service with the hotel. I read upon checking in, Moevenpick Ice-cream will be served to guests to welcome them. However both times I was at the hotel, there were no ice-cream served. This time round I thought that they do not do that anymore. However when I checked out, I noticed that ice-cream was served to the guests checking in. Such inconsistent treatment for guests is seriously frowned upon. How can this happen to a 5-star hotel? 

The check in experience was equally bad. I had to wait for the staff to answer the phone while she was checking us in. I thought that is rather disrespectful to the guests in front of her when checking us in. I had requested for a pool facing corner room, and was told that the room assigned was a pool facing corner room. To my horror, I was assigned a room right opposite the lift and was in the middle of the corridor. I wonder did the staff who checked us in understood what I meant by corner room. What a huge disappointment. The view of the room that I was assigned did not face the pool, rather it was facing the check in lobby. 

This is not the only time I had rather shocking service. I asked the housekeeping staff for some more shower gels, as the gels they gave is rather small quantity, he gave us a shock look and passed some to us, looking irritated after arguing that there are already some in the suite. After settling my stuffs in the room, I headed to the Crystal lounge to check things out. Upon entering, the staff there gave me a rude look and told us to wait by the door while she checked with the lobby staff I saw her talking  over the phone, guessing she might be checking if I am eligible for access to the lounge. This is rather rude of her to treat guests this way and she do not seemed to know the rules of the hotel well, as I understand all heritage suite guests do have access to the lounge. The hotel should wake up and see how they can improve their service. 

Other then these bunch of somewhat rude staffs, the rest of the staffs are rather welcoming and warm in their service. From the desk at the heritage wing to the other staff in the lounge, to those at the tablescale restaurant. 

Breakfast was served at the Tablescale restaurant. the selection in the restaurant is rather limited, with the usual egg station, cold cuts, salad bar, fruits, bread and hot sections. I saw 2 guests asking about the price of the breakfast and they were told costs $40++. I thought at this rate vis-a-vis the amount and the quality of the food being offered, the breakfast is severely overpriced.

Overall

Overall the stay in the room was good but not great, due the various negative encounters with the staffs. The hotel ought to really relook into their customer service and offer a more consistent service. sleep quality is excellent and the sound proofing in the room was good. The other flaw is the view of the room, which is rather depressing to look at and privacy inside the room is only achieved with the curtain closed.

[Hotel Review] - DoubleTree by Hilton (Terrace Suite), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (28 Feb - 3 Mar 13)

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton is located at the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur City. It is about 20 mins walk from KLCC and the Petronas Twin Tower. The hotel is rather far from everything else, however the hotel does provide shuttle service to KLCC , Chinatown and other parts of the city. There isn't much eateries around the hotel, there is a Dome cafe on the first floor of the hotel and some other restaurant that are part of the hotel. To taste local food, one would have to venture out of the hotel.

Hardware

The room we were assigned is the Terrace Suite. I was pleasantly surprised at the room. The room suite was large and contemporary in design. There are 4 sections in the suite. The corridor from the door into the living area was rather large. However there was not much displayed there other then a painting, I thought this is a rather waste of space. The living area has a couch, a working desk, a refreshment area, with a TV. At first glance, the TV seemed to be off centred from the couch as it is facing the work desk. However the mounting on the TV allowed it to be swung facing the couch for occupants to enjoy the show. At the working desk, one can find USB as well as HDMI outlets. There wasn't any instructions on how to connect the TV to the HDMI, after some exploration, I managed to found the switch is located on the side of the TV. This means one would have to swing the TV out and press on the switch on the TV. Rather inconvenient. There are limited powerpoints in the living space, and one can only find one beside the desk. There is, however one more just below the desk (meant for the desk lamp), however it was placed in such an awkward position and makes it hard for one to plug anything into it, unless the study table is shifted. The refreshment area has a espresso machine (which makes great espressos). The room came with 2 capsules of espressos for guests to enjoy. beside it was the ice bucket and the flask. The area is rather cramped up and has only one socket. This means that guests can either use the espresso machine or the flask at one time. The mini fridge is just below the espresso machine counter (and beside the chair by the working desk).

View of the living room and the study desk of the suite

The sleeping room has a king sized bed and an armchair, other then the large wardrobe with the safe. The design is simple, yet functional. There is also another TV in the bedroom, however unlike the one in the living room, this TV is mounted to the wall and cannot be swung. Guests can forget about plugging your HDMI into this TV.

The bedroom

The next area is the Bathroom, which can only be access by the bedroom. The bathroom serves its function and was rather bright. There is a spacious bathtub in the bathroom and it was placed inside the wet area, together with the rain shower, of the bathroom. At first I thought the placement of the bathtub is rather weird, however after using it, i thought the design is rather functional and intuitive. 

Bathroom

The Terrace is a large area with a couch and a couple of arm chairs. The terrace is facing the Petronas Twin Tower, and makes it a great place to hang out. The side that is facing the road is very windy and one can hardly hear any traffic. The view from the terrace is just stunting. 

The Terrace

The Terrace at night

View of the surroundings at night

View of Petronas Twin Tower from the Terrace

The lounge in the hotel is a fantastic place to rest and recharge. The quiet lounge is large and has a terrace that faces the Petronas Twin Towers. Staffs at the lounge are very friendly and welcoming, never stingy with smiles and checking out how one's day was. They are also full of suggestions that gives guests valuable tips on what to see and where to go in the city. The lounge serves finger food during afternoon and evening time. The food on offer is fantastic and delicious, always being topped up.

Signature cookies

Afternoon Tea at the lounge

The hotel has a salt water pool on level 10, which has Jacuzzi in it and a small pool by the side for kids. If one were to suntan here, one would be disappointed as the placement of the pool does not permit direct sunlight to enter the "valley" where the swimming pool is located. There is also a small gym next to the pool. The equipment of the gym is rather limited and feels boring.

View of the swimming pool 

Gym

Heartware

First impression of the hotel was excellent, from the porter at the door of the hotel, who approached me as I was alighting the cab from airport, offering to help with my luggage to the check in staff at the lobby, whom despite being rather busy, still persist in helping us check in with a smile, offering the infamous cookies that they offered to all guests checking in. I was initially being assisted by Abigail and her colleagues, whom after offering me the cookies told us that she will be expecting me at the Executive Floor Lounge after I checked in. However the service standards went down south as I was waiting for my room. As I opted for the eStandby Upgrading offered by the hotel, which gave guests an option to upgrade room at a discounted rate. I opted for either the deluxe suite or the Executive Suite. During check in I was confirmed with the executive suite was available for me and was told that the hotel needed another 5 to 10 mins for the housekeeping to get the suite ready. My wait extended from 5 to 10 mins to 3 hours! Being hungry and tired, I told the staff at the check in lobby that I will be going for our lunch and be back later. I managed to get our room after our bite, and confirmed to the staff if I have gotten the Executive Suite, but the staff was muffled in his reply. When asked if there are any lounge access with our room, all I was told was that our room is on the highest level of the hotel but I would have to pay extra for the lounge access. Thinking that I was assigned the Executive Suite, having no access to the lounge was not much of a big deal. However upon entering the room was assigned, I was shocked to learnt of the room that was assigned was the normal deluxe room. I was rather irritated by the fact that the staff did promised Executive suite at the point of check in and made me waited for 3 hours, end up I got the deluxe room instead. To be frank I felt rather cheated at this point and went to the Executive lounge to get the room issue resolved, after failing to get anyone on the Careline that the hotel has.

At the Lounge, another staff by the name of Khalid, listened to my ranting with empathy and was shocked of the situation that we were in. He quickly worked to resolve the issue and found a deluxe suite for us, on top of that he offered late check out. However my outbound flight schedule does not permit for the late check out. Instead of leaving it as that, I was informed that Khalid will be making special arrangement for me and invited me to the lounge for refreshment, while he get the housekeeping to get ready my suite. At this point I saw Abigail at the lounge and she learnt of our situation and apologised for the foul up. Abigail wanted to take full responsibility of the foul up, however I explained it was not her fault. Despite that she still took responsibility of the situation, and quickly checked with Khalid of the status of my room. After 10 mins, both Khalid and Abigail approached me and told me they explained my situation their duty manager. The duty manager agreed to upgrade me to the Terrace Suite at the price of the upgrade to deluxe suite! I was surprised at the commitment by both Khalid and Abigail had displayed to salvage the situation. The service recovery displayed by both staffs was timely and excellent. 

Overall

I had an enjoyable stay at the hotel. The staffs were caring and observant and welcoming. They had excellent service recovery, which is essential in the service industry. The room is absolutely stunting with great views and the sleep quality is excellent.

[Hotel Review] - Hotel InterContinental (Shophouse Suite), Singapore (28 - 30 Dec 12)

Location

InterContinental is located in one corner of Bugis Junction Shopping Mall. The shopping mall is linked to the hotel by a door. The shopping mall can be very crowded especially weekends, however passing through the door to the hotel, the atmosphere changed from buzzling to tranquility.  There are no shortage of dining options in and around the hotel. The hotel is also near the subway system in Singapore, providing guests the convenience of moving around in the country. 

Hardware

The room we checked in was the Shophouse Suite. Situated in the 2nd and 3rd level of the hotel, it is just above the shopping mall. Despite the close proximity to the busy shopping mall, sound proofing in the room is fantastic. We were not disturbed by any of the noise below the suite.

The room is rustic yet modern with a touch of Peranakan theme running throughout the suite. The suite has 3 distinct areas to it. Upon entering the room, a chandelier greeted us at the lobby of the room. There is a mirror opposite the main door and a small wardrobe by the side of the mirror. The storage space in the suite for clothing is rather miserable.

Entrance to the suite

The bathroom feels a little cramped. It has the standard Bathtub large enough for one person, placed at the far end of the room, in front of the window that can barely open (there isn't much of a view from this room anyways). Next to the bathtub is the single sink, where one can also find quality bath amenities from The White Company placed for room guests to use.  The toilet is placed next to the sink, and the walk-in shower, featuring rain shower,  is located at the other end of the bath room. The contemporary bathroom, painted in white with soft yellow light, gives one a relaxing feel. There are hints of Peranakan decors in the bathroom, however these are limited to useless displays of vase and jars on the sink.

Qaulity bath amenities

View of bathtub and the sink

Toilet bowl alongside the walk-in Shower

The suite has roughly 2 other sections, the living area and the bedroom, separated by a wall with 2 doors.  The suite feels rustic, yet modern. There seem to be too much clutter in the living area of the suite with too much furniture in the living area. There is the study table placed next to the entrance of the living area, at one corner  of the suite, behind the 3 seater couch. The study table is rather large and has connection points for one to plug in their laptop to the TV via HDMI port. Here is where one can find power point to charge one's gadgets. The comfortable 3 seater couch is placed right in front of the study table, facing one of the two TVs in the suite. A small coffee table is placed in front of the couch, where I found a plate of welcome fruits. There is a Peranakan themed shelf by the window of the living area, where one can find the mini bar fridge. The shelf looks more ornamental rather then functional.

Living area with study desk behind the couch

View of the living area with the TV from the study desk

The design of the bedroom of the suite is simple, yet cosy. This area of the room has a King-Sized bed with 2 side tables, where one can find more power points to charge their gadgets. The bed is extremely comfortable to sleep in, with a very comfortable set of quilt. The air conditioning in the bedroom is rather weak. I left the doors open to allow more cool air from the living area into the bedroom for a better night sleep. In front of the bed is the other TV. However there are no HDMI connections to this TV. The HDMI connection found on the study desk connects only to the TV in the living area. To plug into this TV, one would have to pull out the TV and connect directly to rear of the TV.

View of the bedroom from the bed

Comfortable bed in the bed room

The suite comes with lounge access for guests which admits up to 2 pax. The lounge is where one can find more Peranakan theme shouting throughout the lounge. The lounge is huge and there are sufficient seating for guests. My friend and I hanged out at the lounge most of the time and it is a great place for guests to recharge their energy after a day's walk around Singapore. There are several timings where finger food is being served. Their afternoon tea time served mostly Peranakan finger food. The food is delicious and the lounge served quality drinks such as TWG tea and barista styled coffee.  They also served limited food during breakfast, which is a great way to avoid the breakfast crowd at the main restaurant.

Heartware

The service in this hotel is nothing short of 5-star. Their excellent service started with the front desk when I was checking in. The staff immediately put down whatever they were busy with and processed my checking in when they saw me standing at the reception. Another of the staff, upon seeing his colleague was busy, approached to help out without being asked to.  Checking-in process was a breeze. When all the necessary paperwork was done, one of the staff (Shawn) escorted me to my room through the maze of confusing corridor. Shawn even pointed out a shortcut, which is an inconspicuous staircase, leading to the club lounge and the shopping mall next to the hotel. Such information is very valuable to guests.

The staffs in the club lounge are simply fantastic. They are not only welcoming but also sociable and friendly. There is always a big smile on the faces of the staffs. The staffs are always offering advises on the location, the history of the hotel and when we should pay the lounge a visit for the food.  One of the staff even suggested for us to head for the lounge for breakfast to avoid the crowd.

On the 2nd, I chose to visit the Olive Tree Restaurant for breakfast and it was full. I went to the lounge for breakfast to avoid the crowd, it felt exclusive and managed to grab breakfast almost instantly. The spread for breakfast, though was not as much as that in the main restaurant, however it has decent amount of selection to fill one's stomach. I visited the Olive Tree Restaurant the following day for breakfast and had a rude shock on the treatment that was accorded. I approached one of the staff at the entrance to "register" for breakfast, she gave me a shock look as though I am asking for the moon in the sky. She hasted a while before showing us to a table in the lobby. There are some breakfast stations at the lobby lounge and I gotten my breakfast there. The breakfast variety on offer was the same as that in the lounge. I hasten to finish up my food and wanted to retreat to the lounge to avoid the crowd for breakfast. One of the staff came by to clear up the plates and I casually told her that the food here is the same as that in the lounge. The staff was shocked that I wasn't properly informed that there are more food inside the restaurant. I heeded her recommendation that headed into the restaurant and here is where there are more variety of food on offer. There seem to be a lot of empty table and I questioned why it wasn't offered to me? As I was walking out to my table after grabbing some food, I saw the staff who gave me a shock look being very friendly to caucasian guests over their asian counterparts. That is a level of racism that was being displayed by this staff that is disgusting. I immediately left the place and headed back to my suite to register my observation.

Almost immediately after registering my displeasure, I received a call from the restaurant manager - Mr Khoo. Mr Khoo was not defensive and listened to my displeasure. Instead of making up excuses, he kept apologising on the behalf of his staff. Mr Khoo handled the feedback very positively and professionally. As I was heading towards the lounge after my conversation with Mr Khoo, he came up to me and apologised in person, this was not necessary but Mr Khoo took the initiative and the matter in his own hands. As we were about to check out, Mr Khoo some how knew about this, he approached our room, offering a box of chocolate as a gesture of apology and escorted me to the lounge to process my check out. The service recovery displayed by Mr Khoo is excellent and certainly turned a grouchy guest around. 

Overall

On the whole, the hotel gives one a feeling of being treated as a guest. Though the suite is cluttered and felt small, the sleep quality on the bed is excellent. More importantly the staffs in the hotel treated every one, regardless of skin colour as guests. I would love to stay in Hotel InterContinental again as the services rendered is nothing short of 5-star.